It’s amazing how your life can change in a matter of seconds and for former New England Patriots tight ened Aaron Hernandez–that’s exactly the case after he was charged for first-degree murder on Wednesday.

Hernandez was charged for the murder of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd along with five gun-related charges after police were questioning the tight end’s involvement with the incident for over a week. Lloyd’s body was found less than a mile from Hernandez’s house last week and based off all of the details that have emerged over the last week–it was clear Hernandez was either involved or knew details about what really happened with Lloyd.

Between the destruction of his cell phone and home security system to the evidence of text messages from Lloyd’s phone that took place hours before his death, the last week has been a cat and mouse game for Hernandez as it seemed like only a matter of time before he was placed under arrest. Now, Hernandez’s life will never be the same again as he’s currently on his way to prison after being denied bail during his arraignment.

It was a bold move for New England to release Hernandez just hours after his arrest considering the hefty contract they provided him last August, but they knew how messy this situation was going to get and didn’t want any distractions heading into training camp. There are too many professional athletes in the world today that put their gifted talent to waste by performing idiotic acts such as the one Hernandez was involved with and because of his actions, the Patriots and their fans will be left with a memory of Hernandez they never could have predicted in a million years–a big disappointment.

For a player that was adored by fans, it’s a shame to see Hernandez’s time in New England come to an end this way considering the bright future he had with the organization. Hernandez was considered a steal in the 2010 NFL Draft when the Patriots selected him in the fourth round and he spent the last three years emerging as one of the league’s most dangerous pass-catching tight ends. In fact, with Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, New England arguably had the league’s top duo when it came to pass-catching tight ends and in one week–all of that was gone.

At the end of the day, a player who showed so much potential to play a key role in the success of the Patriots over the next couple of years and could have left his own legacy with the organization will now be seen as nothing but a disappointment to the team and their fans. New England had high expectations for Hernandez heading into next season with all of the uncertainty surrounding Gronkowski and just like that–the Patriots and their fans will have to adjust to life without their former beloved tight end.